Self-closing tobacco-bag



(No Model.) i

G. W. VAN ALSTINE.

SELF CLOSING TOBAGGO BAG; No. 400,020. Patented Mar. 10, 1889.

N. PETERS, nowumn m mr. Wanhingmn. n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICES CHARLES \V. VAN ALSTINE, OF NEIVTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SELF-CLOSING TOBACCO=BAG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 400,020, dated March 19, 1889.

Application filed August 28, 1888. fierial No. 283,987. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES \V. VAN AL sTINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Closing Tobacco-Bags; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip-v tion of the invention, such as will enable oth ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to bags which are provided with means for closing their months or open ends automatically when released by the persons or appliances which hold them open during the operation of filling or getting at the contents.

The object of my improvement is to hold the mouth of the bag flat and smooth when closed, and to provide a durable closing device which will effectually prevent the escape of any part of the contents when left free to act and may be easily withdrawn at will, though holding its position securely against accidental displacement. To this end I employ a spring of considerable strength acting in two opposite directions, and thus drawing the sides of the mouth of the bag tightly together, so that they will be smooth and flat. I provide this spring with a central coil from which two arms, the elongated ends of said coil, extend obliquely upward and outward, being shaped at the ends to hold the mouth of the bag detachably but firmly.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a bag provided with my spring for automatically closing it, the latter being chiefly shown in dotted lines within said bag;

and Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of said spring detached.

A designates the bag; B, the central coil of the spring; 0, the arms extending obliquely upward and outward 011 each side from the ends of said coil, which exerts through them its resiliency in two opposite directions, and I), the hooks formed on the ends of said arms, each hook first curving inward to form a rounded shoulder, (Z, then outward and down to (Z, nearly meeting said shoulder, and then slightly outward, in order that the extremity (1 may not be in the way of the bag when the in g it upward.

spring is inserted in the mouth of the latter. The parts or features 13 C D are preferably formed from one piece of spring-wire, left in? tegral.

The spring is applied to the bag by spreading the mouth of the latter and passing the coil B and arms C down within it, slightly compressing said arms until the fabric of the mouth of the bag at two opposite points passes between the shoulders (Z and the contiguous parts d of the tips of the hooks D, a slight amount of force being necessary to force the edges through between these parts to the open spaces in the upper parts of said hooks, the position shown in Fig. 1. The outward pressure of the arms 0 and the shape of the hooks 13 now combine to hold the mouth of the bag against separation from the spring, and this pressure also draws together the sides of the said mou th intervening between the two points at which it is applied. By pulling these sides apart and compressing the spring, or by the former only, the mouth maybe readily opened for the purpose of filling the bag or inspecting or withdrawingany part of the contents. As soon as released the spring will close it again, preventing the escape of any partof the contents. Ordinarily, after filling the bag, the spring is withdrawn by simply pull- The upper parts of the hooks B make good handles for this purpose. The same spring may be used with any number of bags successively; but I may also provide each bag with one, the springs being so flatthat a great number of these self-closing bags may be piled on each other for storage or transportation or while temporarilyawaiting use. The mouth of the bag is not pursed or crumpled in any way which would interfere with such piling or packing. The spring is subjected to but little strain, is practically unaffected by wear, and will last for a long time with no perceptible diminution of efficiency.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A bag provided with a spring, consisting of coil B, arms 0, and terminal hooks for said arms, the spring being arranged within the mouth of the bag, for the purpose of closing the same automatically, and the hooks fitting detachahly over the edge of said mouth, as spring to and from said hag, fortho purposes I0 set forth. set forth.

2. A spring provided with the control coil, In testimony whereof I nffix mysignatm'o in 13, the arms 0, extending upward and outward, presence of two witnesses. and the hooks D, having shoulders (I, curved JAR-LES w VAN ALSTTNE uroximalzo mrts d and outwmdlv-tnrned1'i )s '1 I Y. u'-, all speolally adapted, as (l osol'lbocl, to hold llJlQSSQSZ the mouth of :1bag'tog'othorand allow the oon- CHAS. 1:)I1VIM()(7K, voniont LlIl'LC-lllllOHli and detachment of said CHAS. I. GMMES. 

